Insulated glass units (IGUs) include opposing glass lite panels separated by a spacer along the edge in which the spacer and the glass sheets create a seal around a dead air space (or other gas, e.g. argon, nitrogen, krypton). A series of thin films, known as electrochromic glazings, are applied or deposited to one of the glass lite panels. Electrochromic glazings include electrochromic materials that are known to change their optical properties in response to the application of an electric potential. Common uses for these glazings include architectural windows, as well as windshields and mirrors of automobiles. Further details regarding the formation of IGUs can be found in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,372,610; U.S. Pat. No. 7,593,154; and U.S. Pat. Appl. Publ. No. 2011/0261429 A1, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
IGUs may be installed in buildings as part of architectural glazing frame systems, which conventionally include a window pane and frame-work often having a frame cap on the exterior of the frame. It is necessary to bring electrical connections outside of the framing system in order to connect electronic controls, such as lighting and environmental controls or other control systems, to the IGUs.
Previous systems known to those of ordinary skill in the art have run wires to the edges of the frames within the framing systems. For instance, as shown in FIG. 1, an insulated glass unit 50 may be supported by a frame 1 on one side and a combination of a pressure wall clamp plate 9A and a pressure wall trim cap 9B on the other side. An IGU connector 7 may be connected to the insulated glass unit 50 within a “glazing pocket” region enclosed by (i) an inner seal 2 between the frame 1 and an inner glass lite 12, (ii) the IGU 50, (iii) an outer seal 3 between the pressure wall clamp plate 9A and the outer glass lite 13, (iv) a wall seal 8 between the frame 1 and the pressure wall clamp plate 9A, and (v) a spacer 5 around the perimeter of and between the glass lites 12 and 13. To connect the IGU connector 7 to other electrical interfaces, a hole 6 has been drilled within a wall of the frame 1 to enable a cable 4 or other electrical conductor to pass through the hole and into a space of the frame from which the cable 4 can travel to other locations within the framing system. Such wire routing systems are believed to be expensive and potentially error prone, often requiring the use of not only a technician for installing the IGUs, but also electricians for the wire routing and potentially structural engineers due to the modifications made to the framing system. Furthermore, these wire routing systems often require customization due to the variety of commercial and residential framing systems in use today.
It is believed that advances in wireless communications and solar power control systems may be useful in providing a reduction in the overall wiring complexity for systems utilizing electrically active glazes, such as those described in co-pending U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/435,391 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,055,089, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. Wiring however may still be required to connect the IGUs locally to photovoltaic (PV) panels, power packs or batteries, and control units lying on either the interior or exterior of a building.